The Biden administration will begin distributing doses of the COVID-19 vaccine directly to retail pharmacies in an effort to streamline vaccinations across the country.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said the program will begin with about 1 million doses sent to 6,500 pharmacies starting next week. The number of pharmacies could reach every 40,000.
“This will provide more places for people to receive vaccines in their communities,” said Zients. “And it is an important component for the equitable distribution of vaccines.”
Zients said 10.5 million doses will be distributed to states this week, a 5% increase from last week and a 22% increase in weekly doses since President Joe Biden took office on January 20.
COVID-19 killed more than 445,000 Americans and infections continued to increase, despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines in late 2020. USA TODAY is following the news. Keep updating this page to get the latest updates. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or see our detailed answers to readers’ questions.
In the headlines:
►The CDC reported on Tuesday that the second case of the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus in the country was identified in Minnesota. Three cases of the South African variant, two in South Carolina and one in Maryland, have also recently been detected in the USA
►The National Park Service will now require all visitors and staff to wear masks inside buildings and facilities and on land “when physical distance cannot be maintained.” This includes busy and narrow trails.
►Miguel Romero, mayor of the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, said on Twitter that a rapid antigen test he did for the coronavirus was positive and he is awaiting the results of a molecular test. Romero is isolated, as is Governor Pedro Pierluisi, after having maintained recent contact with the mayor.
►Capt. Tom Moore, the British World War II veteran who invaded the heart of his repressed nation while raising money for healthcare professionals, died after a positive test for COVID-19. He was 100 years old. The White House paid tribute to him in a tweet.
►Giving people who have had COVID only one dose of the vaccine would not negatively affect their antibody levels, but would release many necessary doses urgently, a new study suggests.
Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 26.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 445,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 103.6 million cases and 2.24 million deaths. More than 52.6 million doses of vaccine have been distributed in the United States and 32.7 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
📘 What we are reading: Studies suggest that up to 80% of people with symptoms of COVID-19 experience a total or reduced loss of smell or taste. Most survivors regain consciousness in a few weeks. But some do not, and researchers say they may be without them for the rest of their lives. Read the full story.
One dose of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine reduces transmission, symptoms
A single injection of the AstraZeneca / Oxford University vaccine reduced coronavirus transmission by 67% and provided substantial protection against COVID-19 for at least three months, according to preliminary data from three tests revealed on Tuesday.
If confirmed, the findings may provide at least a partial answer to one of the persistent critical questions about coronavirus vaccines – whether they help prevent the spread of the virus, not just the symptoms. The high level of protection against the symptoms of just one dose, 76%, is also an encouraging sign for nations struggling for limited vaccine supplies.
A second dose is still needed for the full effect of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which was authorized for all adults by European Union regulators on Friday, but has not received clearance in the United States. The test results indicated that the vaccine is actually more effective when the booster injection is delayed by three months, rather than administered within three or four weeks.
Rapid distribution of vaccines can prevent the spread of variants
Speeding up the rate of vaccinations across the country could help stem the spread of new highly infectious forms of COVID-19, says Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci said that while current vaccines may not offer the same level of protection against the variants they provide against the original virus, they can alleviate the impact of the disease, including hospitalizations and deaths. People need to be vaccinated “as quickly and expeditiously as possible,” Fauci said at a virtual news conference with the White House’s COVID-19 response team.
“Viruses cannot mutate if they don’t replicate. And if you stop replicating by vaccinating widely and not giving the virus an open playing field to continue to respond to the pressures you put on it, you won’t get mutations.”
Andrew Yang, now candidate for mayor of New York, tests positive for COVID-19
Andrew Yang, the businessman who became a candidate for president and now runs for mayor of New York, had a positive test for COVID-19, he announced on Tuesday. Yang said he had tested negative recently this weekend, but later received a quick test with a positive result, he tweeted on Tuesday.
“I’m showing mild symptoms, but on the other hand, I’m feeling good and in a good mood,” tweeted Yang.
Yang said he was quarantined. Among New York’s mayoral candidates, he is among the most prolific activists in person in a dispute that was forced to go online because of the pandemic. A member of his campaign team had already tested positive shortly after Yang announced his run. Yang said his campaign has started to seek efforts to determine who he is in contact with.
– Ryan Miller
Tanzanian government opposes vaccines
Days after President John Magufuli of Tanzania casts doubt without evidence on COVID-19 vaccines, Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima said the country does not plan to receive them.
Magufuli claims that God eliminated COVID-19 in Tanzania, an East African nation with 60 million inhabitants that has not updated its number of coronavirus infections since April. Insisting that Tanzania is safe, Gwajima only encouraged people to improve hygiene practices, including the use of disinfectants
In its last travel notice in Tanzania, the CDC says that the country’s COVID-19 level is “very high” and recommends that it be against all travel there.
The Russian vaccine appears effective in the Phase III trial
Russia’s entry into the global vaccine draw appears to be a winner, at least in the early returns. The Sputnik V vaccine obtained an effectiveness rating of 91.6% in a Phase III trial, according to a study published Tuesday in the British medical journal Lancet. The trial last fall involved about 20,000 Russians. The most commonly reported side effects were flu-like symptoms, pain at the injection site and fatigue; serious side effects were rare.
The vaccine was approved by the Russian government in August, despite minimal tests. President Vladimir Putin at the time released the vaccine nationwide, boasting that one of his daughters had already been vaccinated. But a large-scale vaccination campaign did not begin until December; doctors and teachers were first in line. Outside Russia, Sputnik V has received authorization in more than a dozen countries.
Rich, influential should not be the first to try to vaccinate
The launch of vaccines in California, Washington State and elsewhere is generating concern among health leaders, who warn that doses unfairly administered to wealthy or influential people could cause essential supplies to be cut in the COVID-19 battle. The Washington State Department of Health said in a statement on Monday that “VIP scheduling, reservation of doses for unequal or exclusive access and similar practices are prohibited and will not be tolerated”. The Seattle Times reported that three medical systems in the region gave special access to vaccines to large donors or members of foundations. Two of the hospital organizations recognized that they made a mistake in prioritizing influential people.
In California, some essential workers – teachers, first responders, and agricultural and food workers – remain next in line for shots. But after that, the state will expand eligibility mainly by age, probably people aged 50 and over. The goal: to accelerate a chaotic vaccine launch that consistently leaves California behind many other states in distribution rates, even though it gave about 3.3 million immunizations on Monday.
Chicago, DC teachers hesitate to return to classroom learning
District of Columbia Public Schools went to court on Monday for a temporary restraining order against Washington Teachers’ Union to prevent a work stoppage that could delay the opening of some schools for face-to-face education. Face-to-face learning across the city was scheduled to start on Monday, but the winter weather delayed opening. Schools opened two hours late for face-to-face students on Tuesday. The union scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning to discuss its position.
In Chicago, school district officials extended remote learning for two more days on Monday and called for a “cooling-off period” in negotiations with the teachers’ union, citing progress, but not a full agreement on security plans. COVID-19 to return to schools. More than 60,000 students and nearly 10,000 K-8 teachers and staff were scheduled to return to school on Monday for the first time since March, as part of the district’s gradual reopening plans during the pandemic.
USA: No immigration arrests at vaccination sites
The US government says it will not conduct immigration arrests at vaccination sites across the country, except in “extraordinary circumstances”. In a statement on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said vaccination sites would be considered “sensitive sites” and would not be targets for immigration and customs officials. DHS says it encourages everyone “regardless of immigration status” to be vaccinated when they are eligible under local rules.
Previously, the ICE included health centers and churches among sensitive places where arrests would generally not be carried out.
‘No red flags’ in vaccine safety data for pregnant women so far
Some pregnant women remain unsure about how to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, as safety data is scarce and health agency guidelines are vague and, in some cases, contradictory. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease specialist, said on Monday that about 10,000 pregnant women in the U.S. have been vaccinated since the Food and Drug Administration authorized two vaccines and so far there have been “no signs of alert”.
“Many pregnant women have been vaccinated, the FDA has followed them and will continue to follow them,” he said during a media roundtable at the IAS COVID-19: Prevention Conference. “Even if we don’t have good data about it, the data we are collecting about it so far does not show any warning signs.”
CDC guidelines say that the decision is up to the mother, in consultation with her doctor. Fauci said on Monday that the agency follows that recommendation.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Contributing: Associated Press
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: COVID news: A dose of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine; pharmacies; variants
Originally published